The "just-world bias" is a term coined by Melvin Lerner for the tendency of human beings to believe that life is fair. People believe this because if they thought that life was unfair, they would have to live with the unbearable worry and stress that would come from the knowledge that all of their actions are futile. A possible benefit of the just-world bias is that it encourages us as individuals to work harder; however, it also may cause us to believe that when we see a person in a bad situation, that that situation is their fault, also known as "blaming the victim."